A blog for students by students

Main Menu

Department Highlight: Physics

There are a ton of things to consider before making the big journey to college: the city, environment, or what extra-curricular activities the school offers. One of the most important things to consider though is what you want to study.

Maybe you’ve always been interested in reading literature and writing and you know being a English major is the way to go. Maybe you’re a wiz in science and math and you know that’s the route you plan to take. Maybe you feel drawn to multiple majors, or maybe you don’t feel drawn to any subject in particular.

We’re here to help give some advice about different programs Mississippi College offers so you can have an idea of what to study in college! If you’re one of those people who feels lost about what to study, don’t fret! Here are a couple of reasons not to stress about choosing a major before you come to college:

God’s timing is impeccable. I fussed over what I wanted to study for three years before I realized the plan God has laid out for me. Once I realized that plan, I knew why that very moment was the best timing for me to realize what I wanted to study. Talk about being blown away!

A second reason, MC offers 80 different undergraduate programs for you to choose to study! If you come here undecided about your major, no worries! You can take different classes and test the waters. There’s bound to be a major here that fits you!

So, enough with the advice about choosing a major. Here’s some information on one of MC’s greatest programs: Physics.

MC offers two degrees for all of you science and math lovers: A Bachelor of Science in Physics and in Physics Engineering.

Physics is regarded as the foundation of all sciences. It observes and analyzes the interactions that occur in the physical world. Many alumni of the Department of Physics have moved forward and achieved amazing professional accomplishments. Dr. Joseph Hamilton was the 2010 distinguished physics alumnus of the year, is a professor at Vanderbilt University, and also took part in the discover of Element 117. Other alumni of the physics program have gone on to work for the U.S. Army Missile Engineering Center, NASA, the National Institute of Standards and Testing, and many more.

You can visit the Career Services web page to see a list of potential career options and skills needed for physics majors. Some of these career options are a soil engineer, physicist, professor, journalist, geophysicist, and an engineer to name a few.

The physics degree consists of 41 hours of physics courses, 21 hours of mathematics, eight hours of chemistry, three hours of computer programming, three hours in oral communication, and an additional 27 hours of general electives.

The physics engineering degree differs slightly from the general physics degree. The engineering degree requires 56 hours of physics courses plus engineering courses, 12 hours of calculus, three hours in differential equations, eight hours of chemistry, six hours of computer programming, three hours of oral communication, and seven hours of general electives to meet the 130 hours needed to graduate.

Visit the department web page to find even more information about MC’s physics program! You can also see the curriculum and courses offered by the department here. Extra bonus– physics classes at MC have a student-professor ratio of 10:1! Small class sizes are awesome for developing relationships with your professors and classmates and for receiving the most out of your educational experience.

We hope this helps you in your decision making as you choose what to study! Come visit MC and see what it’s like by sitting in on real college classes.